November Newsletter

Encinitas Changes for November

Before we get to Outi's newsletter, I have some news to share with you all. Last year, when I started Encinitas Yoga, it was my intent to preserve something special for Encinitas and those of us that enjoyed our regular yoga practice at the Yoga Room. It was never my intent to profit from the effort, but my hope was that the studio would pay its own way within a reasonable amout of time. Unfortunately, that time has never come and the costs have been mounting. As the recession has worn on, it has become increasingly difficult for me to personally cover the difference between revenue and expenses. The last two months have been particularly difficult as revenue has fallen substantially.

This means that this month will be the last month that Encinitas Yoga will offer regular yoga classes. Our last day of operation will be November 30th. We are exploring options that will allow the morning gentle class, at least, to continue at a different venue. There are also possibilities that individual teachers will continue other classes at new venues. We have no definite plans in place and are open to ideas from everyone.

Thank you to everyone that helped keep Encinitas Yoga running for the past 18 months. I appreciate everyone's contribution to this effort. For those of you with open series, please use them up in the coming month. We are suspending sales of all series, but you can still pay for individual classes. Please support us through this final month of operation with your attendance to the excellent classes we offer.

For November, there is a single class change. The Friday Power Hour is now discontinued.

-Grant

Outi's Newsletter

Fall Greetings Yogis,

The seasons just keep changing, and to keep up with their change, let’s take a look at how we can adjust to the season this time around. By now you have probably felt the winter nip in the air, maybe even turned on the heat, and switched outta your flip flops into some shoes - even here in temperate So-Cal we feel the earths seasonal tilt on its axis.

Not surprisingly, the Fall season is associated with the respiratory system in many of the health disciplines. And as we know it, the flu season is here with the nasty bug of the year, H1N1. So it is of essence, that we all pay a little more attention to prevention, maintaining and improving health this fall, instead of giving in to the fear of these infections that loom around us. Your overall health and the health of your respiratory system are worth some extra effort. Prevention is always the best cure.

Our lungs are the connection between the inner and the outer atmosphere; respiration is the function of exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide through the pulmonary capillaries where blood and air meet. It is vital to our health to breathe deeply and to breathe good air. Lungs are sensitive to cold and dampness, so as the weather outside gets colder and damper, it is important to be aware and take action from excess to prevent colds. This means keeping yourself warm, as well as your chest, neck, head and feet. Keep yourself warm by dressing properly, lots of physical movement to aid blood flow throughout the body (sun salutations whenever you can - for example) and by drinking plenty of warm liquids. Have a sweater ready for after your yoga class to ward off the chill in the fall weather.

A yogi way of looking at colds and flu differs some from our conventional medical outlook. It is highly usual for a person to ‘catch’ a cold in the change of a season when the body’s thermostat is adjusting to the environmental changes and/or when the general level of resistance in the body is low. Some other factors that are known to precipitate a cold are poor diet, sluggish digestion, sedentary lifestyle/lack of exercise, poor muscle tone and reduced circulation. But the cold is also recognized as a way for the body to detoxify and rid itself of excess toxins… most symptoms associated with a cold (cough, sneezing, runny nose, fever, sweating) are all signs of elimination as well.

The over the counter remedies you see in the pharmacy are by no means a cure for a cold or flu but merely offer symptomatic relief. Of course at times this gives the body/mind the ability to catch rest, which is important for the healing process. But thinking more yogically, the cold can be avoided by natural means when the vital resistance of the body is high and all the physiological functions in balance.

So you want to keep yourself healthy right? How? Eat regular healthy and seasonal meals with emphasis on warming foods such as vegetable soups with added spices like chili and ginger for extra warmth and comfort. Drink plenty of warm liquids, wash your hands frequently, gargle with salt water daily, use a “neti pot” to rinse the nasal passages daily and avoid touching your face – especially when in contact with people. If possible avoid heavy and processed foods, and if you are feeling a cold coming on, take extra care to what you are eating… Opt for soups, spicy natural teas and practice using the neti pot to keep the mucosal membranes of your sinuses clear from invading viruses/bacteria. If you haven’t used a neti pot before, ask at your local health food store, they’ll show you the right kind and give you the basics on how to use this effective but tricky home prevention method. Only comfortably warm, clean water with sea salt should be used and never excessively. Get used to it first. And remember to rest.

Keep up your yoga practice to maintain high resistance and good circulation. Maybe even add a class to your routine and enjoy the warming in your body temple as you practice your yoga and interiorize during this fall season.

See you in class!

In the best of health,

Namaste,

Outi

A Favorite Fall Hot Drink

(with preferably organic ingredients)

2 inch piece of fresh ginger

Cinnamon (2 sticks or ground is ok)

Cardamom (5 pods better than ground, but a ½ tsp of ground will do)

Cayenne pepper (a ½ or a whole small dried pepper or ground)

Add to slightly cooled drink:

½-1 Lemon’s juice

Honey

In a stainless steel or other good quality pot bring about a quart of water to boil.

Add 2 cinnamon sticks, approx. 5 cardamom pods cracked open and the whole or ground cayenne (you can modify all quantities to taste). Boil for a couple of minutes, then take off heat and add sliced ginger and steep for 5 minutes. If cooling rapidly, put on low heat, no need to boil.

Cool so the tea is not boiling hot and add ½ to 1 lemon’s juice and honey to taste and enjoy. You can keep extra in the fridge and heat up to enjoy later as well, or take a thermos with you to work!